Previous Lab Trainees

Jeff K. Erbe

Summer, 2003: Visiting Undergraduate Student.
Jeff spent 3 months in the laboratory for a K College Summer Internship Project (SIP), Department of Psychology, Kalamazoo College, MI. Jeff used immunohistochemistry to determine if methamphetamine induces cell death in the murine dorsal striatum. His work was published in the Society for Neuroscience Abstracts (2004).

Namita Singh, MSII

Summer, 2004: Visiting Medical Student.
Namita spent 3 months in the laboratory for a UCR/UCLA School of Medicine Summer Internship Project. Namita used immunohistochemistry to determine if methamphetamine induces cell death in the murine dorsal striatum. Her work was published in the Society for Neuroscience Abstracts (2004).

Tushar Kumar, MSII

Summer, 2005: Medical Student, University of Washington.
Tushar used immunohistochemistry to determine the effect of methamphetamine on c-fos expression in the murine striatum. His research project was supported by the University of Washington Medical Student Research Training Program (MSRTP).

Melissa Au-Yeung

January – June 2006: Undergraduate in Neurobiology, University of Washington.
Melissa used immunohistochemistry to determine the effect of methamphetamine on c-fos expression in the murine striatum. She received credits for NBIO 499B, Individual Research in Neurobiology.

Whitney Hanan

September, 2006 – June, 2007: Undergraduate in Biology, University of Washington.
Whitney performed behavioral experiments on psychostimulant-treated mice. She received credits for NEURO 499 Individual Research in Neurology. Whitney presented her work at the annual UW Undergraduate Research Symposium (2007) and the Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute Symposia (2007). Her work was published in Ann. Neurol. (2007) and in Neuron (2008).

Brian Gaudino

July, 2006 – June, 2007: Visiting Student, Skidmore College.
Brian prepared tissue samples for optical and electrophysiological experiments.

Anita Bhansali, MSI

July, 2007 – February, 2008: Medical Student, University of Washington.
Anita performed whole-cell patch recordings in murine striatal slice preparations. Anita’s research project was supported by the University of Washington Medical Student Research Training Program (MSRTP). Anita published her work in the J. of Investigative Med (2008) and Journal Physiology (2012).

Jessica Towne Weimer

March, 2007 – February, 2008: Laboratory volunteer.
Jessica was a graduate from Seattle University. She was responsible for tissue preparation and learned whole-cell patch clamping. Jessica plans to apply to Graduate School at Northwestern, Chicago. Jessica presented her work at the annual UW Undergraduate Research Symposium (2008) published her work in the J. of Investigative Med (2008) and Journal Physiology (2012).

Christine A. Scarlis

July, 2006 – December, 2008: Undergraduate in International Studies, University of Washington.
Christine performed behavioral experiments on psychostimulant-treated mice. She received credits for NEURO 499; Individual Research in Neurology. For her work in the laboratory, Christine was awarded a Mary Gates Foundation Scholarship (2007-08) and a UW Undergraduate Research Travel Award (2007). Christine presented her work at the annual UW Undergraduate Research Symposium (2007, 08), the Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute Symposia (2007) and the annual Child Neurology Society meeting (2007). Her work was published in Ann. Neurol. (2007) and in Neuron (2008).

Lauren Ludwick

March, 2007 – February, 2008: Undergraduate in Biology, University of Washington.

Dennis Dever, PhD

August, 2006 – August 2008: Graduate Student in Psychology.
Dennis performed optical studies in mice to determine how psychostimulants induce synaptic plasticity in the ventral striatum. Dennis received his doctoral degree in Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience. Dennis published his work in the J. of Investigative Med and Journal Physiology (2012).

Janet Lowe, PhD

December, 2007 – January, 2009: Postdoctoral fellow.
Janet performed electrophysiological studies to determine striatal function and plasticity. Janet’s work was published in Journal Physiology (2012).

Phyllis Ying

Spring 2008 – 2009: Senior Undergraduate in Biology, University of Washington.
Phyllis performed behavioral experiments on psychostimulant-treated mice.

Angie Gleed

September, 2008 – January, 2009: Undergraduate in Biology, Brigham Young University, Rexburg Idaho.
Angie is analyzing the apoptotic effects of psychostimulants on acetylcholine interneurons.

Scott Funkhouser

Winter, 2008 – July 2009: Undergraduate Studies, University of Washington.
Scott performed behavioral experiments on congenital cocaine-exposed mice.

Natasza Posielski

Summer, 2009 & 2010.
Tasha determined the expression of D1 and D2 receptors on striatal spiny neurons and cholinergic interneurons. Her research was supported in part by a NINDS Recovery Act Summer Research Supplement. She received credits for NEURO 499 Individual Research in Neurology. Natasza currently attends medical school.

Andrew Thomas

Summer, 2009
Andrew determined the expression of D1 and D2 receptors on striatal spiny neurons and cholinergic interneurons. His research project was supported by the University of Washington Medical Student Research Training Program (MSRTP) and published in the J. of Investigative Med (2010).

Emily Eck

September, 2009 – January, 2011: Graduate in Biology, University of Washington.
Emily learned basic laboratory techniques and cared for genetic mice; genotype and breeding. Emily was a co-author on a paper published in Journal Physiology (2012). She received credits for NEURO 499 Individual Research in Neurology. Emily was recently accepted to the University of Washington School of Medicine.

Emily Shih

September, 2009 – July, 2010: Undergraduate in Biology, University of Washington.
Emily learning basic laboratory techniques and data analysis. She received credits for NEURO 499 Individual Research in Neurology.

Iona Nitulescu

Winter, 2008 – June, 2011: Undergraduate in Chemistry, University of Washington.
Ioana performed data analysis and behavioral experiments on mice exposed to cocaine in utero. Her research was supported in part by NINDS Recovery Act Summer Research Supplement. Ioana was awarded a Mary Gates Foundation Scholarship (2009-10 and 2010-11) and Merage Scholarship (2010-11). Ioana was a co-author on a paper published in Journal Physiology (2012). She received credits for NEURO 499 Individual Research in Neurology. She is currently a graduate student in Chemistry at Harvard.

Jon Hall

January- June, 2010: Undergraduate, University of Washington.
Jon developed a mouse model to study the effect of corpus callosotomy on striatal function. He received credits for NEURO 499 Individual Research in Neurology.

Danielle Elizabeth Johnson

September, 2010 – June 2011: Undergraduate, University of Washington.
Danielle performed data analysis. She received credits for NEURO 499 Individual Research in Neurology.